Beautiful
by IndyGirl89
Summary: Anna and Kristoff take a romantic walk in the castle gardens. But something is weighing heavily on Anna's mind. Can Kristoff help ease her worries? Set a few months after Frozen. Mostly Kristanna fluff, but with a little bit of Elsanna sisterly fluff. One-shot.


**Hey guys! How's it going? Did you miss me? :) Here's another new story for you guys. I can't believe this is my 10th story! It's CRAZY! Well anyways, this story is about Anna and Kristoff. Ever since season 4, episode 4 of OUAT, I've been having fluffy Kristanna feels, so I decided to write this overly fluffy one-shot. I gotta tell you, though, I had the hardest time getting it started. I had part of the middle planned, but the problem was thinking of something to lead into it. I got an idea and started writing but it wasn't going where I wanted it. But then a better, stronger idea sparked in my head, so I deleted what I had and started over. Surprisingly, after I started with this new idea, it became easier and easier to write. Sentences just kept coming and coming and, well, here's the result! Anyway, hope you enjoy, and please review! DISCLAIMER: I do not own Frozen or any of its characters.**

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><p>It was a calm, cool night in Arendelle, the entire kingdom sleeping under a blanket of stars. The only sounds to be heard were the lapping of water against the docks and the occasional breeze that rustled through the trees. As quiet as it was, there was one person who was unable to sleep peacefully.<p>

Anna tossed and turned in her canopy bed, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in, something that was highly unusual for her. Normally, she was out almost as soon as her head hit her pillow, but in the last few weeks, something had been weighing heavily on her mind that she just couldn't get rid of.

In the weeks since the Great Thaw, as everyone now called it, she had been reliving those painful moments in the library when Hans had betrayed her and left her for dead. She thought he had loved her, but he had just been using her to get the throne. She herself had been so infatuated that she hadn't been able to recognize the signs, and now she hated herself for it. She hadn't been in love; she had just fallen in love with being in love. She couldn't believe that she had been so stupid to have fallen for his charm and good looks. She should have known it was too good to last.

But the worst part had been when Hans had said, "If only there was someone out there who loved you." That had been the final blow. Anna had been devastated, and had started thinking that no one loved her. But when she had thawed out and saw that Elsa and even Kristoff had been grieving over her frozen body, she realized that she had been loved all along. But Hans' betrayal would always be fresh in her mind. It would never go away. She turned onto her side and after a few minutes, fell into a fitful sleep.

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><p>Anna woke several hours later to sunlight streaming through her diamond-patterned window. She glanced outside and saw blue sky; today promised to be another beautiful day.<p>

She sat up slowly and stretched, a huge yawn overtaking her as she did so. She got out of bed, padded across the room to her wardrobe, and opened it. An array of colors flashed in front of her eyes as she tried to decide what to wear. After a few minutes' deliberation, she took out a lightweight summer dress in a light shade of blue that matched her eyes. She changed into it, with her chemise, corset, lightweight petticoat, and white stockings underneath, and black shoes on her feet. She brushed and braided her hair and then went downstairs to the family's private dining room, where she usually ate breakfast with Elsa.

Anna entered the dining room to find Elsa sitting at the head of the long table, where she was being served tea and oatmeal by Gerda. She was wearing a simple, light blue morning frock and her hair was styled in its usual braid. Her head was bent over some papers in front of her, but she looked up when Anna sat down next to her.

"Good morning," Elsa said, smiling at her.

"Morning," Anna replied, a little quieter than normal. Gerda then came over and also served Anna a bowl of oatmeal with a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top and a mug of steaming hot cocoa. Anna didn't like tea. She didn't know how Elsa could drink that stuff. She herself found it bitter and tasteless.

"Thank you, Gerda," Elsa said, smiling at her, and Gerda curtseyed before exiting the room. Anna, however, didn't say anything, but looked down at her bowl.

"So," she said, in what she hoped was a cheerful voice, despite the somewhat unpleasant thoughts and memories still swirling around in her head. "Anything new?" She started poking at her oatmeal and taking small bites, which was also unusual for her.

Elsa sighed. "Not really," she said, sifting through the papers next to her own bowl of oatmeal. "Just the Northern Isles responding to my letter from a couple weeks ago on whether they would be interested in becoming our new trading partner. You know, since I've cut off all ties with Weselton. Oh, and another letter from the Southern Isles begging again for forgiveness of Hans' actions during the freeze."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Anna looked up at Elsa. "You're not still on the fence about that, are you, Elsa?" she asked. "Because remember what he did to me, and what he almost did to you." Her voice, which had been quiet up until this point, was now gaining strength and volume, and was almost back at its normal level.

"No, Anna, I'm not," Elsa answered in a resigned voice. "I'm more on the side of not forgiving him."

"Good!" said Anna heatedly. "Because he doesn't deserve forgiveness after what he did and said to me!" Suddenly realizing what she had just said, she clamped her mouth shut and looked back down at her bowl. She hadn't yet told Elsa all that had happened in the library between her and Hans. She had told her that Hans had left her there to die, but she had never told her what he had said.

"Anna?" said Elsa quietly, looking at her. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am!" said Anna defiantly, jabbing her spoon rather aggressively into her oatmeal. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Anna," said Elsa, slowly and hesitantly resting her hand on top of Anna's. She was still getting used to reaching out to people. "I'm your sister. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Anna looked at Elsa's concerned expression and deflated. "It's just—" she began, her voice quiet again. "I can't stop thinking about those few moments in the library on that—that day. What he said to me."

"What did he say to you?" Elsa asked quietly, almost dreading the answer.

Anna hesitated. "He said—he said no one loved me," she finished in a whisper, but still loud enough for Elsa to hear.

"Oh, Anna," said Elsa sadly, clasping her hand in hers. "You know that's not true."

"I know," Anna sniffled, wiping away the tears that had started forming in her eyes. "But at the time, I thought it was." She gave a big sigh, trying to collect herself.

"Well, on a happier note," Elsa said, draining her tea, "any big plans with Kristoff today?" After Anna had told her what Kristoff had done for her during the accidental winter, she had been more than happy to give him and Anna her blessing and had even welcomed him into the family. She had even gone as far as to offer him a room in the castle. At first, he had refused, but Anna had insisted he take it.

"Not really," said Anna, now playing with her spoon. "We were just going to go for a walk in the gardens."

"When and where are you meeting him?" Elsa asked.

"In the entrance hall," said Anna, and she looked at the grandfather clock that sat in the corner of the dining room. "Oh, now!" And she got up from the table and ran to the door. "Sorry, Elsa, but I'm late. I'll see you later!" And she scurried out into the hall without another word. Elsa just smiled and shook her head, going back to her papers.

Meanwhile, Anna was running as fast as she could down the hall. She skidded around the corner into the entrance hall just as Kristoff reached the bottom of the grand staircase. He was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing the day Anna had given him his new sled: dark gray pants, a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a dark gray vest with light blue trimming, a red sash, and his pointy ice harvester boots.

"Kristoff!" Anna cried, and she ran to him.

"Hey!" said Kristoff, and he grunted as Anna barreled into him and squeezed him tight. "Are you okay?" he asked, almost gasping for air.

"I'm fine," said Anna, looking up at him and smiling. "I'm just happy to see you, that's all." And she hugged him tight again, breathing in his familiar scent. Though he now spent more time around the castle than out and about like he was used to, he always smelled of pine and fresh hay.

"Well, I'm happy to see you, too, feisty pants," he said, hugging her back. He broke away for a minute and looked at her. "You look nice."

"Thanks," said Anna, blushing a little. "So do you." Then, realizing what she had said, she buried her face in his shirt, trying to hide her red face.

Kristoff was a little startled by Anna's sudden display of affection towards him, but not knowing what else to do, he just hugged her back. What was going on with Anna today? She seemed a little off, not her usual bouncy, cheerful self. Maybe their walk in the garden would help make her feel better. He cleared his throat and asked, "Well, shall we go?"

"Mmhmm," Anna answered, breaking the hug, but still keeping a tight hold on his arm.

The couple walked arm in arm out the castle doors and into the brightly lit courtyard. Anna led Kristoff around a corner of the castle, where there was a nice-sized garden belonging to the royal family. Fortunately, the winter hadn't lasted long enough to cause any lasting damage to the flowers or plants. They bloomed just as big and bright as if there hadn't been a winter in the middle of summer.

There was a stone bench next to a small rose bush. Anna broke away from Kristoff and sat down on it, looking at her hands. Kristoff sat down next to her. There was a few minutes of silence in which neither of them said anything. Finally, Kristoff broke the silence.

"It's beautiful back here," he said, looking around at all the flowers, and then he mentally kicked himself. Seriously? He was talking about flowers? What was wrong with him?

But Anna just sat there, still not saying anything. She had started twisting her hands in her lap. Kristoff had only known Anna for a few weeks, but he had seen her do that often enough that he knew what it meant. She was upset about something.

"Anna?" he said quietly. "Are you okay?"

Anna was silent for a few more seconds, then she said, "Yes. No. I don't know."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kristoff asked.

Silence again. Anna still wouldn't look at him.

"Anna," said Kristoff, gently taking her hand in his. "You can tell me anything."

"I know," said Anna, squeezing his hand and finally looking at him. She took a deep breath. "The thing is, I can't stop thinking about that day in the library, when he left me."

Kristoff didn't need to ask who "he" was. Anna had told him some of what happened in the library, but like with Elsa, she hadn't told him everything. She found it too painful to talk about with anyone, even her sister.

"Did he say anything to you?" Kristoff asked, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand.

"Yes," said Anna, so quietly he almost didn't hear her. She was looking down where her fingers were entwined with Kristoff's.

"What did he say?" Kristoff asked. Anna was silent again. "Anna, what did he say?" he asked again, louder this time.

"He said—" Anna's voice caught in her throat. "He said no one loved me."

Kristoff heaved a big sigh. That jerk, he thought. "Did you talk to Elsa about this?" he asked.

"Yes," Anna answered.

"And what did she say?"

"She said that it's not true."

"And she's right," said Kristoff, squeezing her hand. "Anna, I'm so sorry for what he put you through. If there was anything I could do—"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Anna said quietly. "Elsa banished him, so he's never coming back."

"You don't sound too sure about that," Kristoff said.

Anna sighed heavily. "After Hans, I'm not sure of anything anymore," she said.

There was silence again, but Kristoff could tell that there was something else on her mind. He waited patiently to see if she would say anything. After another few minutes, she spoke again.

"I probably wasn't pretty enough for him, anyway," she said, almost in a whisper.

"Anna, look at me," said Kristoff, cupping her face gently in his hands and turning it towards his. But her eyes were still downcast. "Look at me," he said more firmly, and her gaze slowly rose to meet his. There were tears sparkling in her beautiful blue eyes. He wiped them away with his thumbs. "You are the most beautiful young woman I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

"Kristoff—"

"No, let me finish," he said. He felt that if he didn't get it out now, he never would. He had waited long enough as it was. He took a deep breath and continued. "You are the most beautiful young woman I've ever known. From the moment I first saw you in Oaken's Trading Post up until now, and every single moment in between, I've thought so. Your eyes hold more light than the auroras, your hair glows like the setting sun, and your smile—your smile is big enough to light up any room you walk into, no matter how big or small. But the most beautiful part about you, Anna, is your never-ending love for people, especially your sister. Even though she shut you out for 13 years, you never gave up on your love for her. That is something few people would do, and that's what sets you apart from others. And that is what I admire and love most about you."

He finally fell silent, and it was another few seconds before anything was said. "Oh, Kristoff," Anna breathed. "Do you really mean that?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't," said Kristoff, smiling at her.

"No one's ever said anything like that to me before," Anna said, and she flung her arms around him and hugged him tighter than she ever had before. "Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" Kristoff asked, chuckling a little.

Anna looked up at him and smiled. "For seeing me for who I am, not what I am," she answered. "Most people just see me as the princess, but you see me as a normal person, and I love you for that." She buried her face in his chest again.

Wait, what?

"Anna," said Kristoff, breaking away from her and looking her straight in the eyes. "What did you just say?"

Anna chuckled nervously. "I know it sounds crazy," she said, now playing with the end of one of her braids and blushing furiously. "Especially since we've only known each other for a few weeks, but there's this feeling I get when I'm with you that I never had when I was with Hans."

Kristoff couldn't believe it. She loved him. She _loved _him. How could it be that this young woman seated next to him, the princess of Arendelle, of all people, could possibly love him, a lowly ice harvester? He was nothing, no one, and certainly not worthy of a princess.

Suddenly, he got this strange feeling in his chest. Somehow, without realizing it, his pulse had quickened and his throat constricted, making him incapable of speech.

"Kristoff?" Anna said, laying a hand on his arm. Now she was the one who sounded concerned. "Are you okay?"

Kristoff shook himself and looked at her as though he was seeing her for the first time. Was this the feeling she had been talking about? Finally, he was able to unstick his throat and say something. The first words out of his mouth were the same words she had said to him mere moments ago.

"I—I love you, too," he managed to choke out.

Anna stared at him. "What?" she whispered.

"I love you," Kristoff repeated, taking her hands in his. He couldn't believe he was saying it, but it had never felt more true than right then. "I never realized it until right now, but I do. I love you. I love everything about you: your hair, your eyes, your smile, your ability to make anyone laugh. I love the way you laugh and the way you cry, the way you crinkle up your cute little nose when you're mad." He playfully tapped her nose, and she giggled. "I even love your freckles."

Anna scoffed, but she was still smiling. "No one loves freckles," she said.

"I do," said Kristoff, and he gently traced his finger across her freckles, as though connecting them with an invisible line. "Your freckles, your imperfections, they're what make you you. There is no one else in this world who is exactly like you, and there never will be. And I love you for it."

Anna flung her arms around his neck and started peppering him with kisses. He broke away just long enough to ask, "What's all that for?" His lopsided grin was back in place.

Anna smiled back. "I love you," she said, this time without hesitation or embarrassment.

"I love you, too, feisty pants," he whispered, and he gently cupped her chin in one hand and brought his mouth down to hers. It was a small, chaste kiss, but it contained all the love he had held back all these weeks.

After what felt like a lifetime, but was really only a few seconds, they broke apart, gazing fondly into each other's eyes. Anna sighed contentedly and rested her head on Kristoff's shoulder. They sat in a companionable silence until Kristoff spoke again.

"You know," he said, his voice holding a hint of playfulness. "There are a few questions I've wanted to ask you since our…...adventure."

"Really?" said Anna, looking up at him. "And what questions would those be?"

"What's my last name?" he asked, smirking.

"Oh, Kristoff, you're not going to start that again, are you?" Anna said, playfully smacking him.

"Just answer the question," said Kristoff, still smirking.

"Fine," Anna huffed. "Your last name is Bjorgman."

"What's my favorite food?"

"Carrots."

"Best friend's name?"

"Sven."

"Eye color?"

"Chocolate."

Kristoff started. "Chocolate?" he said. "Really?"

"Hey, you didn't say how I was to answer the questions," Anna said defensively. "You just said to answer them."

"Okay, fair point," said Kristoff, smiling. "Last question: What's my foot size?"

"Big," Anna answered, and she giggled.

Kristoff didn't argue. His feet were big, and she was really the first person who had ever said it straight to his face.

"Okay, your turn," said Anna. "What's my last name?"

Kristoff scoffed. "'Of Arendelle'."

"What's my favorite food?"

"Chocolate."

"Best friend's name?"

"Elsa."

"Eye color?"

"Blue, like the ocean."

"Aw, really?"

"Just give me the last question."

"Okay, okay. What's my foot size?"

"Small and dainty," said Kristoff, and he smirked again.

"Hey! My feet are not dainty!" said Anna defensively again.

"They are compared to mine," said Kristoff, gesturing downwards.

Anna looked down and compared their feet. He did have a point. Her feet were small compared to his. But she wasn't about to give up that easy.

"Well, I'm a princess, so my feet are supposed to be small," she said, faking a pout.

"Well, you do have the smallest feet I've ever seen," said Kristoff.

"That's only because you've been around trolls and ice harvesters your whole life," said Anna, and she giggled again.

Kristoff didn't say anything. She had him there. He cleared his throat. "Did I also tell you that you have the cutest feet I've ever seen?" He smiled again.

"Oh, you!" said Anna, and she playfully smacked him again. She leaned back against him and closed her eyes.

Kristoff kissed her head lightly before resting his chin gently on top. How in the world could he be so lucky?

They stayed that way for the longest time, not moving even when the sun set and darkness fell. All they cared about was being together. Nothing else mattered.

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><p><strong>Whew! That was another long one! I never tire of this couple. :) Don't get me wrong, I loved writing "Big Sister Elsa", but it's nice to be back to the characters' adult counterparts.<strong>

**The title and idea for this story is taken from a song sung by Wayne Brady, which is also called "Beautiful". Go check it out, it's a beautiful song (no pun intended).**

**Cover image artwork belongs to the talented godohelp on DeviantArt.**

**Again, hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! :)**


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